Spitfire takes to the skies above Offshore Europe 2013

This year’s Offshore Europe was set to a flying start – by a Spitfire performance outside the exhibition centre.

Merlin ERD managing director Iain Hutchinson repeated his grand entrance from the previous two events by performing a fly over the AECC in his privately owned Spitfire.

“It’s a replica, I have to confess. I built it from scratch,” Hutchinson told Energy Voice.

Merlin ERD’s OE2013 stand also consists of a Bloodhound car in which the company will try to beat the world speed record next year.

“It’s something a little different to capture people’s imagination,” Hutchinson said explaining the concept of the company’s exhibition.

“Engineers are always interested in the technical stuff and the Spitfire is a piece of British iconic engineering – it very much stands for what we’re trying to do: we’re drilling the longest wells in the world from Scotland.”

Exhibitions like this can also encourage young people to take up engineering courses and get involved in the industry, Hutchinson believes.